4 Things to Look At To Find The Best Block of Land for Your Building Project

Understanding Passive Solar Design, Passive House and Custom Energy-Efficient Home Considerations

Before you can construct your dream home, you first need to find the perfect plot of land. Remember that not all blocks of land are equal; some may be more suitable for your needs than others. This also depends on the type of home you want to build—is it a passive solar design or a passive house? By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision about which block of land is best suited for your construction project.

Lifestyle

The first thing you should consider is your lifestyle. When searching for a block of land for construction, it needs to fit the dimensions of the house you want to build and support the lifestyle you envision. If you want a swimming pool, an expansive garden, a large garage, etc., then keep that in mind while choosing your block size.

When you envision living close to the city or a bustling suburb such as Northbridge, Victoria Park, Leederville or Fremantle, you are generally limited in the size of available blocks. And generally, these blocks would have a higher square meter price.

Block of land in Mount Hawthorn, R40 zoning and 440 sqm suitable for most types of homes

Passive Solar Design

The passive solar-designed home uses the sun to warm the building in colder months while avoiding direct sunlight during the summertime to maintain a better temperature. For optimal passive solar design, living areas and outdoor space should face north (give or take 15 degrees), ideally along the length of the block.

For passive solar design to be effective, it is critical that there is minimal overshadowing from neighbouring blocks. This becomes especially important during winter. To achieve this goal, you should take note of the size of your block and whether the neighbouring blocks to the north have high walls or are higher up (when built on a hill).  

You'll often find that R40 zoning and below are suitable for this purpose; however, higher R-codes mean that homes are built closer together, leading to more overshadowed areas.

While battle axe blocks have their benefits, it depends on the dimensions and orientation of the block as to whether or not they would be suitable.

Passive House

Passive houses rely heavily on insulation and airtightness of the building envelope to maintain an ideal living temperature all year round, regardless of external weather conditions. To achieve this, passive houses need thick layers of high-quality insulation in their walls, floors, and ceilings. This is coupled with an airtight membrane that prevents natural ventilation to affect the indoor climate.

Passive houses are designed to reduce the direct sunlight entering the house. This is done to minimize the chance of the house overheating, which would require air-conditioning to offset. By doing so, passive houses can maintain an optimal temperature year-round with minimal additional support. To achieve this goal, passive homes typically have smaller double-glazed upvc windows and devices that provide shadow where larger windows or glass doors are desired.

Passive houses are, as a result, less dependent on the size and orientation of the block of land than passive solar designs, providing great flexibility for the home-builder. Because passive houses aren’t relying on thermal mass like passive solar houses are, you also have more flexibility in choosing building materials, which can have a material impact on building costs.

Custom Energy-Efficient Homes

Custom homes are often the most flexible option when building a new home on a block of land. While passive solar designs and passive houses are effective for energy efficiency but are fairly specific in their design principles, custom homes can combine features from both, meaning that you have more control over the design and the desired lifestyle. This can also be a cost-efficient way to build, because a custom energy-efficient home also has more flexibility and choice in the use of building materials. However, a custom energy-efficient home is unlikely to achieve the same energy efficiency as a passive solar design home or a passive house in its pure form.

Conclusion

The process of building a home can be a challenging one. There are plenty of choices regarding lifestyle, budget and considerations for the type of home you wish to build. Each comes with its own set of pros and cons.

Before you start searching to buy land or put in an offer, feel free to contact us and tell us your ideas and plans. We can quickly confirm if the land you’re considering is suitable for the different design concepts, such as Passive Solar Design. Plus, there can be complications that will affect the design and construction of your future home, which could lead to additional costs.

So, it’s better to check before you act. We’re happy to advise prospective Perth Home Builders free of charge.